A perfect beach read - #KeyWest #interracialromance #humor

By Tim Smith (Guest Blogger)

Spring has finally sprung, although it may not feel like it in some parts of the country experiencing snow and monsoon-force rain. But be of good cheer, sun worshipers. If summer is on the horizon, do you know what that means? It’s time for you to load your E-Readers with beach reads!

Isn’t it lucky for you that I just released a new one?

Once Upon a Sunset (Extasy Books) is the third title in my annual summer series “Key West Heat.” The previous installments were The Last Sunset (2017) and Beauty and the Beach (2018). Each story is a stand-alone, with different characters and plots. The only common thread is that they take place in Key West, with attractive characters, lots of atmosphere, some humor, and enough erotic encounters to ramp up your internal temperature before you dive into the pool to cool off.

Ted Allen left Key West five years ago to pursue a better job in another part of the country. He left behind a lifetime of wonderful memories. He also left Shakira Watson, the one woman who had carved out a prominent place in his heart. Now his career has brought him back to the tropical paradise, with hopes of rekindling what they had before. He thinks it’s fate, but will Shakira want anything to do with the carefree, fun-loving bachelor she remembers? Is Ted finally ready to commit to one woman?

This is an interracial romance and though it uses a hook that isn’t entirely original (the guy comes back with hopes of reconnecting with the woman who got away), I threw in a plot twist that’s a bit different for me. It seems that in the five years since our hero and heroine last saw each other, she had a major change in her life. I won’t spoil the surprise, but it’s something that added a sweeter aspect to the romance than I usually use. 

 

Here’s an excerpt to tempt you.

Ted wrapped his arms around Shakira and kissed her deeply, gliding his lips along hers. Her scent was intoxicating and brought back a torrent of memories. He got more into their passionate embrace and ran his hand along Shakira’s back while devouring her soft, full lips. He felt her hand on his thigh, starting at his knee and slowly inching upward, increasing his arousal. Her tongue invaded his mouth, challenging his to an erotic duel.

She pulled away and planted wet kisses along his cheek and neck. “I never forgot how good you do that,” she whispered.

Ted looked into her eyes while cupping her cheek. “Crazy eyes.”

She giggled. “What did you say?”

“I always thought you had crazy eyes.”

“What does that mean?”

“Something dangerous beneath the surface, like you’d try anything once.”

Her eyebrows arched. “And just what tricks have you learned the past five years?”

“Nothing more than before.”

Shakira pushed him onto his back, then lay on top of him and ran her fingers through his hair. “We did do some pretty crazy things, didn’t we?”

“I think the craziest was making love in the hotel hot tub when I took you to South Beach for the weekend.”

She laughed. “I swore those people at the poolside bar knew exactly what we were doing. It made me hot.”

He kissed her. “Me, too. Feel like getting a little crazy tonight?”

“Do you have a hot tub in here?”

“No, but I’ve got a double bed.”

She stood and took his hand. Ted followed her to the bedroom. Shakira pushed him onto the mattress, then practically fell on top of him. Her lips locked onto his and her tongue snaked into his mouth.

Ted ran his hands along her back, down to her full round ass, squeezing her through her tight jeans. Then he rolled her onto her back and continued kissing and fondling her. Her hands roamed along his back and shoulders while she lightly chewed his lower lip. He began to get hard rubbing against her, and her scent drove him wild. He pushed himself up to a sitting position, pulled her shirt up and fondled her breasts through her black lace bra. Shakira wriggled out of her shirt and bra, giving her full breasts their freedom. Ted mouthed one and then the other, sucking her nipples into hardness.

Shakira gasped in pleasure. “You know that’s the sensitive one. That always turns me on.”

* * * *

If you’re in the mood for an entertaining read that won’t tax your brain, join Ted and Shakira under the palm trees in Once Upon a Sunset. You’ll be glad you took the trip. 

Available now!

https://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-2499-2-once-upon-a-sunset/

https://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Sunset-West-Heat-ebook/dp/B07R4Q4ZHC/ 

About the Author

Tim Smith is an award-winning, bestselling author of romantic mystery/thrillers and contemporary erotic romance. His website is www.timsmithauthor.com.

Review Tuesday: Wild in the Country by Portia Da Costa #eroticfantasy #classic #vintage

Wild in the Country by Portia Da Costa

Latest edition, 2017

Leggy, creamy-skinned redhead Flora Swain longs for something new—something more exciting than her well-paying but tedious job and her well-meaning but prudish boyfriend Ian. While Flora has daring fantasies and longs for sexual variety and kinky exploration, Ian is strictly a missionary-position, don’t-make-too-much-noise sort of guy.

When she unexpectedly inherits a chunk of money, Flora throws caution to the winds. Handing in her resignation, she moves from the city to the picturesque country village of Marwick Magna, where she takes possession of charming Pennyroyal Cottage and its resident feline Arnold. Little does she know that she has joined a community of libertines whose salacious activities far exceed her wildest dreams.

As she starts to meet her neighbors, including the seductive and mysterious Morwenna Carfax and Declan McKenna, a renowned artist who lives next door, every social encounter seems to turn intimate. Flora has never been with a woman before; she’s never masturbated in public; she’s never been spanked, or been bound and teased. With the eager assistance of the attractive denizens of Marwick Magna, Flora rapidly expands her repertoire of erotic experience. Meanwhile, almost every day, she receives explicit letters from someone who signs himself (or herself) “The Scribe”. The Scribe seems to know about all her naughty adventures, almost as if he (or she) were constantly watching Flora’s experiments with pleasure. Who is her secret admirer? It could be any of the village’s outrageous inhabitants—anyone, that is, except sweet and sexy Declan, who is illiterate.

Wild in the Country is pure, vintage Portia Da Costa, the sort of erotica that first inspired my own writing. The book was originally published in the nineties, in a more innocent time. It gleefully includes a huge variety of sexual situations and activities, including M/M and F/F interactions. Set against the lush background of a bountiful English summer, the novel brings Flora, her desires and her not-terribly-effective doubts to vivid life.

I love women like Flora, women who aren’t afraid of their own carnality. That’s the way I was, during my “sex goddess” period, so I really identified with her. Meanwhile, the author populates her fictional village with distinctive and likeable characters, each one attractive in his or her own way. There’s the deceptively prim shopkeeper Lucy, bare-bottomed under her ankle-length skirts and buttoned-to-the-throat Victorian blouses—intellectual, middle-aged author Marshall Fox, with his predilection for kink—Lord and Lady Rawnsley, the local gentry, who excel in the arts of discipline—Jack the handyman, with his hairy limbs and unlimited horniness. And of course there’s Declan, who seems to want more from Flora than just her body.

Eventually, Declan and Flora fall in love and commit to one another, but honestly, I can’t call Wild in the Country a romance. It breaks every rule of the genre.

You’re probably not surprised to learn that didn’t bother me at all. I adored the novel. It took me back to a simpler time, when desire was magic, and all you had to do was imagine what you wanted in order to have your wishes granted.

Be Seduced! (#anthology #erotic #giveaway)

These fabulous authors are offering wonderful giveaways. There are Amazon Gift Cert's, ebooks, and a print book of Summer of Seduction up for Grabs. Please use the RaffleCopter below to enter. You may increase your chances of wining by visiting the other tour stops. You may find those locations here. 

About the Book

Avoid the burn, but savor the heat of the season! Kick back in the shade with your copy of summer sizzle!

“Sugar’s Salvation” by Candi Fox 

“Dry Heat” by Louisa Bacio

“A Summer Tryst” by Bobbi Romans

"Windows and Doors" By Monica Corwin

“Primal Heat” by Audra Hart

“GFE Interrupted” by Shakir Rashaan

“Summer Fever in a Tent” by A.M. Halford

“Mikhail's American Adventure” by Sheri Velarde

“Kassie’s Seduction” by Izzy Szyn

Featuring an exotic array of genres to tempt even the pickiest of palates! Come, join the erotic adventure of A Summer of Seduction.

 

Amazon Buy Link

About the Authors

 

Candi Fox

Candi Fox, co-host of the wildly popular radio show Candi and Company with over 900 thousand listeners began her venture in the paranormal at the tender age of two, when she witnessed her first apparition. From that moment on the paranormal seemed to follow her. No matter where she moved, the house she lived in the house next door, or the house down the street always seemed to be haunted. 
 
She often wondered if she drew the spirits to her. Little did she know that she was indeed a magnet of sorts. It wasn't until she was in her late twenties that she found people who could not only explain her gifts, but would also help her hone them. Armed with this new knowledge she began to openly explore hauntings and other paranormal phenomena. 
 
Growing up in Indiana lent her the opportunity to explore many famous haunted places including the Hannah House, which was once part of the Underground Railroad. A little over two years ago she moved to Tulsa, OK and has began to explore the haunted landscape in a new state. 
 
Candi lives with her husband, and furry children in Tulsa. She is passionate about the occult, saving and rehabilitating horses, horseback riding, magic, all things mystical and has her Reiki Mastery. 
She uses her own paranormal experiences as well as her own life traumas to write from a grounded and realistic perspective about subjects that are hard to talk about and even harder to feel for yourself.

Social Links:  Facebook | Amazon |Website | Facebook | Blog | Twitter | Instagram 

Louisa Bacio

A Southern California native, Louisa Bacio can’t imagine living far away from the ocean. The multi-published author of erotic romance enjoys writing within all realms – from short stories to full-length novels.

Bacio shares her household with a supportive husband, two daughters growing “too fast,” and a multitude pet craziness: Two dogs, five fish tanks, an aviary, hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs and geckos. In her other life, she teaches college classes in English, journalism and popular culture.

Social Links:  Website  | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter 

Bobbi Romans

She's a Mom, BamMaw, Aunt and loves to write, cook, and be both crafty and thrifty. Oddities include, marring people and moons ago, being on a talk show. *wink* Bobbi writes a little bit of everything to find her available books, check out her Amazon page. To read reviews of her stories, check out her Goodreads page. To find Bobbi herself she's on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Goodreads, and had her blog located at, Bobbi Roman's Yakpad! She loves to hear from readers so feel free to drop her a line.

Monica Corwin

Monica Corwin is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author. She is an outspoken writer attempting to make romance accessible to everyone, no matter their preferences. As a Northern Ohioian, Monica enjoys snow drifts, three seasons of weather, and a dislike of Michigan football. Monica owns more books about King Arthur than should be strictly necessary. Also typewriters...lots and lots of typewriters.

You can find her on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/monicacorwin, on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/monica_corwin, on the web at: http://www.monicacorwin.com. Monica Corwin is also on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/rosetyper9.

If you want up to date information on releases be sure to follow her here on Amazon or you can join her newsletter: http://madmimi.com/signups/267423/join

Audra Hart

Audra Hart is a southern gal with plenty of life experience, which has lent itself to a colorful and somewhat naughty imagination. An avid reader from a very young age who enjoys a wide array of genres, Audra truly loves to read and write sexy paranormal romance novels and strives to write romantic tales which are so exciting, so hot and so moving that her readers can gleefully escape their daily concerns while immersed in her fictional universe. As a lifelong fan of the Happily Ever After, Audra strives to give her readers true moments of joy within the pages of her books. The heroines in these stories are always strong and sensual survivors who find themselves bonded to powerful and sexy alpha-male heroes.

If you enjoy paranormal romance loaded with tons of action, in and out of the bedroom, as well as a fresh twist on mythology and folklore, then Audra Hart is the author for you. If you enjoy well developed characters, intricate plots and surprising twists... check out these stories! All of Audra's novels are written to be enjoyed by adults only. 

You can always find Audra on FB at: https://www.facebook.com/AudraHartWritesRomance?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Shakir Rashaan

Shakir Rashaan is the bestselling author of In Service to the  Senator, the Nubian Underworld series and the Kink, P.I. Series. His other projects include upcoming releases Unthinkable, The Devil's All-American, and SAMOIS: Book four/ Chronicles of the Nubian Underworld. Other Projects are in development for later publication under P.K. Rashaan. If you want to read more, visit ShakirRashaan.com
 

A.M. Halford

A.M. Halford lives in Southern Oregon and enjoys spending as much time outside as she possibly can. She and her partner often find themselves hiking with their two dogs when the weather permits it. Fishing, camping, and photography are also activities she greatly enjoys. If the weather doesn’t permit going outside she likes to curl up with a sketch book and draw whatever comes to mind.

A.M. Halford got into writing as an outlet for personal therapy and has since expanded that into a hobby and profession that she enjoys. She often writes down anything that comes to mind, combing through the ideas and expanding on plots that sound the most interesting. She likes to write believable relations between people overcoming unfair hardships set before them. She always loves a happy ending and no matter the hell her characters go through they’ll always get their forever person.

Social Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads | Bookstrand | Amazon

 

Sheri Velarde
 
Sheri Velarde lives in New Mexico with her husband and their two dogs

Being an avid reader since an early age, she has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember. She has been writing all her life, but only recently started to actually try to pursue her dream of writing for a living. She specializes in all things paranormal and that go bump in the night. Her heart truly lies in exploring unknown worlds or adding the supernatural to our world. If it goes bump in the night or has magical connotations, Sheri writes about it. She writes everything from sweet romances to horror stories sure to scare you.

She is constantly putting out new material with various publishers, so it is best to keep up with her on her website www.authorsherivelarde.weebly.com.

In her spare time Sheri is an artist, jewelry designer, independent comic writer/artist and freelance non-fiction writer. Hiking in the mountains, going to live concerts, art openings, museums, watching movies, playing games, and hosting intimate dinner parties.

Social Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon

Izzy Szyn

New York Times Bestselling Author Izzy Szyn was born in May of 2014 when a friend dared her to write. Born and raised in Detroit, Izzy now lives in Oklahoma City with her furchild Misty, the friendliest Chihuahua/Terrier you will ever meet. Currently works in a call center, where she writes in between phone calls. 

Izzy loves to keep in touch with her readers. Email her at izzyszy [at] gmail [dot]com.

 
Social Links: Facebook  | Twitter | Blog | Goodreads | Google Plus link

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Boys of Summer (#lust #nostalgia #youth)

I never will forget those nights;

I wonder if it was a dream.

Remember how you made me crazy -

Remember how I made you scream.

~ Don Henley, “The Boys of Summer”

It’s the last week in August, and this song is playing in my mind. I hadn't listened to it in a while, but when I looked it up on YouTube, I discovered that my reaction hadn't changed. “The Boys of Summer” still brings tears to my eyes and sends chills up my spine.

If you're not familiar with the song, go here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfiKT1N670M

This isn't a particularly good video, but the lyrics will paint their own pictures for you. Or at least, they do for me.

Why does this bittersweet song touch me so deeply? One reason is the fact that it so perfectly captures the blind intensity of teenage passion – the way sex and love get totally confused when you're burning up with desire. When you're young, the nights are magic and they last forever. Everything kiss, every touch, is new and overwhelming. I don't know about you, but I find this song incredibly erotic, perhaps because it reminds me of my own early loves, swept away by the tides of time.

In fact “The Boys of Summer” isn't really a summer song at all:

Nobody on the road;

Nobody on the beach.

I can feel it in the air,

The summer's out of reach...

But it celebrates the glories of summer, bare limbs, bronzed bodies, and heat that rivals the sun. The song pulls you back to the season when the beach was crowded and girls drove around in convertibles, when rock and roll and scent of sun tan oil filled the air. In the brilliant light of summer lust, forever seems possible, even likely.

The song tells a story, too, one that I might try to express in my own medium some day, if I get the chance. Just three verses, and yet I know the characters: the fickle, flirtatious girl “smiling at everyone”, the brash, naïve young man, hurt yet boasting “I'm gonna show you what I'm made of”. And then the third verse, surely the voice of greater wisdom and maturity, “those days are gone forever; I should just let them go.”

But he can't, and neither can I. The memories tempt me back, to relive the thrill and the pain of first love or first lust – if there's a difference.

While looking for a recording to include in this post, I noticed that “The Boys of Summer” was released in 1984 – more than three decades ago. And even then, I was wistfully recalling earlier summers. It's sobering to realize how long ago it was that I first experienced “those nights” of which this song reminds me. I guess I never will forget them. And honestly, I don't want to.

Half Off All My Smashwords Titles! (#promotion #sale #erotic)

Starting today, through the end of July, I’m participating in Smashwords fantastic summer sale. You can get a 50% discount on all my self-published titles at the Smashwords site. In fact, you can get my Christmas short, Slush, for free. Just go to my author page*, here:

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/LSarai

You’ll find erotic romance, erotica, BDSM, science fiction and paranormal fiction for your reading pleasure! Just use the coupon you’ll find on each book page.

And while you’re over at Smashwords, why not check out all the fabulous books by other authors who are participating in the sale? You’ll find them here:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/category/1/newest/1

* My F/F titles published by Lady Lit are not included in this sale. However, if you buy one of these books from Smashwords, and send me proof of purchase, I’ll send you any of my self-published titles for free!

Sunday Snog #139: Last Dance

For this traditional last weekend of summer, I've got a snog taken from Last Dance, a nostalgic tale about summer romance. You can find the full story in the free reading section of my website.


Don't forget to visit Blisse Kiss Central after you've savored this kiss. You'll find lots more Sunday snogs to keep your heart beating faster than normal.

-->

"Please don't cry, Jen."

A male voice, full of warmth. A strong hand on her shoulder. Jen turned to the source, blinking to clear her vision. A young man stood beside her, dressed in a brown uniform she didn't recognize. His straight black hair was parted on the side. His even-featured face wore an expression of concern. Something tickled the back of her brain, some vague sense of familiarity.

"Do I know you?" she asked. She must look horrible, she realized, with her eyes swollen and her skin blotchy. She sniffled and stood straighter.

"Well, not exactly." His grin made him look more boyish. He had a cleft chin, she noticed, and dimples in his pale cheeks. "It's complicated." He laughed, and Jen discovered she couldn't help joining him.

"What do you mean, complicated?" she continued when her giggles subsided. Something about her companion made her feel totally at ease.

"I'll explain later," he said. He brought his hand out from behind his back. Between his thumb and forefinger he grasped the stem of a single red rose. "For you, sweet Jennifer. A token of my esteem."

How did he know her name? She took the blossom. Its heady perfume surrounded them. "Thank you. But if we've never met..." she began.

"I'm Daniel," he interrupted. "You can call me Dan." He leaned on the rail next to her, gazing out over the lake. "It's lovely here, isn't it? Even with the music, there's a quiet calm that's healing to the soul."

Jen didn't answer. It didn't feel necessary. On the opposite shore, the amusements twinkled like a faraway galaxy.

"In the old days, there was a dance pavilion here on the point. On summer nights like this it would be crowded with couples of all ages, from seventeen to seventy. The trolleys brought us here from town. The whole place was strung with lights. It was a fairy land."

Daniel took her hand. It felt so natural that she scarcely noticed. She was caught up in the picture he was painting of a happier past.

"The orchestra played from dusk until midnight. Admission was a nickel. Over there" -- he pointed toward a clump of trees to their left-- "they sold refreshments: sweet corn, lemonade and shaved ice with syrup..."

"The night we met," he said, slipping his arm around her shoulder, "I bought you a raspberry ice. It made your lips purple. I just had to kiss you..."

Just like that, he did. His mouth was gentle but Jen still felt the passion as he pressed his body against hers. Strange electricity sparked between them. He kept his mouth closed. Wanting more, wanting to taste him, Jen teased the seam where the lips met. He relaxed and allowed her to entangle their tongues. Pulling her to his chest, he ran his hands down her back to her waist. Her nipples peaked under her thin dress. She rubbed them against the odd, rough-woven fabric of his shirt. Between her thighs she began to melt.

The kiss made her dizzy. Perhaps she wasn't getting enough oxygen. The world spun around them, but there was no chance of her falling. Daniel held her, strong and secure.

Gradually the whirling ceased. Dan brushed his lips against hers one last time, then drew back. His left hand rested between her shoulder blades. The other held hers, out to the side. Jen became aware of music. She clutched his belt as he led her in a sprightly waltz.

They moved together across the floor of an octagonal pavilion, its wooden roof supported by carved pillars. Strands of bright bulbs sparkled overhead, radiating from the center to the periphery. Other couples danced around them, the women in tunics and slim, ankle-length skirts, the men wearing cuffed trousers and waistcoats or uniforms like Dan's. She felt the fabric of her own skirt fluttering around her calves.

"How...where...what's going on, Daniel?" She looked up into his warm brown eyes. His ripe lips curved into a smile and those adorable dimples winked at her.

"Never mind, my sweet. Just dance with me."

He led her with grace and confidence. Jen found that if she simply relaxed into his arms, following was effortless. As the music slowed, he held her closer. A hard bulk at his groin pressed against her belly. Languid arousal washed over her in waves. I must be dreaming, she thought. She never wanted the dream to end.

They swayed together. Jen closed her eyes, breathing in his scent of fresh-cut wood and lavender. When she leaned her head on his chest, she could hear his heart, strong and regular. She felt their breathing synchronize.

The waltz went on forever. Then the music stopped. The lights went dark. They still stood, holding each other, at the center of the floor. The orchestra and the other dancers had disappeared.

The summer wind ruffled Jen's hair. The forest stirred around the deserted pavilion.

"Come home with me, Daniel," she whispered. He answered with a kiss, sweeping her back into her voluptuous dream-state.

A Tropical Paradise

By Sage Marlowe (Guest Blogger)

First of all, thank you Lisabet for the invite! I’m delighted to be here and celebrate the release of your new book, Quarantine! I always love a party in the middle of the summer.

Yes, it’s July and where I live, this is the middle of the summer. So around here, it’s mostly hot and humid – not altogether a bad thing as we lovers of erotic romance surely agree on. You break a sweat as soon as you leave the house and quite regularly, even indoors. Sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on the level of activity.

Don’t get me wrong. I love summertime. Really. I love the heat, the feel of sunshine on my skin, warm, long evenings spent sitting outside. The drone of the neighbours’ hushed voices as they stand around chatting. The buzzing sound of a bumble bee passing by. Garden parties. Barbeques. Ice cold beverages – cocktails, preferably. Sparsely dressed people. All that makes summer my favourite time of the year but what I’m really, really missing around here are a beach and the sea. White sand and glittering waves underneath a blistering, bright blue sky. A little tropical paradise, so to speak. Now that would be a truly perfect scenario – for me, that is. However, it seems that not everybody shares my fondness of heat and sunshine, or wishes themselves into a tropical paradise.

Riordan, one of the heroes in my latest release, A Taste of Paradise, is definitely not pleased at all when he suddenly finds himself in one of the most beautiful spots on the planet. For him, holidays are a waste of time, and the heat only makes him break a sweat which threatens to ruin his business suit. In short, Riordan is the kind of guy who, for all his life, has chosen his career over feelings. He prefers to have even the most basic emotional needs satisfied with the help of professionals but his attitude gets challenged when a wrong flight booking on a business trip takes him to a peaceful little tropical island instead of his intended destination. Finding himself stranded for a week, he meets Marc, a social worker with summer-sky blue eyes, a sunny look at life and a heart bruised by too many inconsiderate lovers – lovers like Riordan. They begin an affair which to Riordan is nothing but a suitable arrangement and Marc knows his own weaknesses well enough to realise that his instant attraction to Riordan only proves that they don't stand a chance - but maybe one involuntary taste of paradise is all it takes to change their lives.

A Taste of Paradise by Sage Marlowe, released July 14, 2012 by Siren-BookStrand, Inc.

Find out more on Sage’s website: www.sage-marlowe.com

Bio: Sage takes romance to the edge. The edge of passion, the edge of pleasure, the edge of propriety.

Hopelessly in love with books from a very early age on, Sage has dreamt of writing one for years while working on the day job instead. It took a very persistent character in the company of a much-adored Muse to finally get the first novel going. The fact that this gorgeous guy was gay came as a bit of a surprise, but it explained a lot.

Ever since, Sage has been the willing slave to all the fascinating guys who just keep queuing up and want their stories told. This has resulted in several manuscripts at various stages of completion, so there's always something to work on - preferably at night when the rest of the house is asleep.

Sage's characters often have a dramatic and sometimes traumatic past and need to battle some demons to be with the one they love. It doesn't hurt that they usually get quite a lot of naughty action along the way!

Raising Your Temperature (Comment and Win!)

Hello, readers! Today's the beginning of the super Hot Summer Nights blog hop. More than one hundred erotic authors are participating, each of us offering excerpts guaranteed to raise your temperature. We're giving away two grand prizes, a $100 gift certificate from Eden Fantasys adult emporium and a huge digital reading gift basket with over 40 sizzling ebooks for your summer reading pleasure. In addition, many of the participants (including me!) are offering prizes for comments on their individual posts.

In fact, I'm not a huge fan of really hot weather. This is unfortunate, since I live in a tropical climate where the mercury frequently climbs into the nineties and there are three basic seasons: hot, hotter, and unbearable. My idea of ideal weather is October in New England: cool, crisp, and bright.

Nevertheless, extreme heat can sometimes be erotic, adding to the intensity of an encounter. I recall a long ago summer, staying with my boyfriend and his family in their lake-side cottage upper Michigan. Although he and I were in our twenties, we couldn't really make love in the cabin, where we had almost no privacy. And it was blazingly, outrageously hot, day after day over a hundred degrees. Finally, we borrowed his dad's car one afternoon, drove off into the woods somewhere, and had urgent, sweaty sex in the back seat. The sun beating down on our naked skin through the open windows – the way we had to avoid the too-hot-to-touch metal door handles – the mingled smells of perspiration and musk – the sheer thrill of touching after having been deprived for days – that encounter remains one of my cherished memories, both literally and figuratively sizzling.

That's the sort of emotion that fuels my paranormal erotic novella Hot Spell. As the title suggests, the story takes place during a spring heat wave, which sends temperatures soaring. To escape the miserable weather, as well as her own loneliness, Sylvie takes advantage of a long weekend to go camping in the pine-shrouded mountains to the east. Far more at home in nature than in the city, she doesn't mind being on her own in the wilderness. However, she's not the only being haunting the glades and the trails. The sun-bronzed creature she encounters inspires her sympathy and desire, but Aidan is cursed with power he claims will destroy her if they give full rein to their passion. If Sylvie can't refrain from tempting him, she risks being being literally consumed by love.

And because Aidan, the hero, is literally a creature of fire, the flames of passion are more than a metaphor.

Here's an excerpt from the start of the story, to illustrate.

****

He came to her in dreams first, conjured by the sweltering night.

Naked, she tossed in her sweat-damp sheets, drifting in and out of uneasy slumber. The muggy air settled on her skin, a stifling blanket she couldn’t kick off. Like a physical weight, humidity pinned her to the mattress. The feeble breeze coming through the open window offered no relief. If anything, it was warmer than the air in her bedroom, carrying with it all the heat that had been trapped in the concrete and asphalt during the day.

Her limbs were leaden. A dull ache pounded behind her forehead. When sleep overtook her, she found herself wandering barefoot on empty, baking sidewalks. The sun’s relentless glare reflected down upon her from the glass-walled towers on either side. Rivulets of perspiration trickled down her spine but failed to cool her. Her skin felt scorched, ready to crack and peel.

Then the dream changed. The oppressive brightness faded to sultry shadow. Flesh, not air, weighed upon her. Smooth, hot skin, slick with sweat, slid against her own. Strong legs tangled with hers, easing her thighs apart. Fingers of fire skittered across her breasts and danced in her sex, kindling incendiary pleasure. A scalding tongue licked its way to the hollow of her throat, then returned to seal her mouth with a steamy kiss.

He tasted of mulled wine, melted chocolate, cinnamon and cayenne. A sharp tang of ozone hung around them―the smell of summer storms. Lightning crackled wherever he touched her. She ran her hands down his muscled back to his firm, full buttocks, marvelling at the power she sensed in him. Her palms tingled and stung at each contact, as though she’d been slicing chillies. The strange sensation added to the pleasure simmering in her pussy.

She pressed her fevered body against his, trapping his erect cock between them. Hard against her belly, his rigid organ felt like a bar of steel fresh from the furnace. Every searing instant made her want him more. They writhed together, sparks of scarlet and gold whirling around them. Her clit was a live ember. When he brushed his cock over the swollen nub, she burst into flames.

Climax raced through her, a conflagration of pleasure that burned but did not consume her. As she convulsed in his arms, he plunged into her depths, impaling her on a pillar of fire. Another orgasm flared―exquisite delight and unbearable heat. Then he was coming, too, in a blistering, fiery flood. She felt herself kindle, char, crumble to ash. She had no regrets.

****

Want more? Just leave a comment (please include your email address) and I'll enter you to win your very own copy of Hot Spell. Tell me about the most erotic “hot weather” experience you've ever had – or read! (You don't have to go into graphic detail – but you can if you'd like!) Make us sweat! (And if you don't want to wait - you can purchase your own copy of Hot Spell here...)

Of course, every comment you leave also qualifies as an entry for the grand prizes. The Hop runs until the 24^th of June, so you have lots of time to visit and enter at each author's site. To visit the other participants, just click below.